Pattern determining device



Nov. 28, 1967 w. L. CARROLL 3,354,671

PATTERN DETERMIN ING DEVI CE Filed May 25, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG. 1..

VV/LL/AM L. CARROLL BY THOMAS MAHOA/EV 4 77'O/QA/EV W. L. CARROLL PATTERN DETERMINING DEVICE Nov. 28, 1967 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 25, 1965 Z Z Z ///X :\CV/

L 00M 2P 5% W Nov. 28, 1967 w. L. CARROLL PATTERN DETERMINING DEVICE 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 25, 1965 FIG. 8.

INVENTOR. l V/LL/A L CA RROLL BY 7/90/1445 MAHOA/EY A 77'0/QA/EY l II- United States Patent O 3,354,671 PATTERN DETERMINING DEVICE William L. Carroll, 427 N. Magnolia, Whittier, Calif. 90601 Filed May 25, 1965, Ser. No. 458,567 16 Claims. (Cl. 66-50) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The pattern wheel is used with a circular knitting machine for actuating the needles thereof in determined knitting patterns and incorporates a series of jacks which urge pins toward extended positions to engage the needles. A continuous pattern tape introduced onto and from the wheel through special guides moves over ends of the pins and has holes controlling extension or retraction of the pins. A first cam engages the jacks prior to engagement of the pins by the tape to urge all jacks and pins to extended positions, and a second cam engages the jacks after selection by the tape to maintain the jacks and pins in the selected positions. The second cam is resilisently mounted for safety in the event one of the jacks is mislocated between extended and retracted positions.

This invention relates to a pattern determining device for knitting machines and, more particularly, to a device consisting generally of a pattern wheel whose jacks may be automatically located in either extended or retracted position and a pattern magazine from which is drawn a pattern adapted to determine the location of the jacks of the pattern wheel.

In use, a plurality of pattern determining devices is mounted about the perimeter of a circular knitting machine in the positions customarily occupied by conventional pattern wheels in which the jacks are arranged in fixed, predetermined patterns and, thus, a tremendous flexibility in the achievement of a wide variety of designs is obtained without the necessity for dismounting the pattern wheels incorporated in the pattern determining devices from operative relationship with the associated knitting machine.

The present invention constitutes an improvement over the device disclosed in my previously issued Patent No. 3,167,937, which is also directed to a pattern wheel system in which the pattern wheels are capable of automatic variations in the design of the fabric being knitted in the associated knitting machine.

To facilitate the consideration of the invention, it will be described as utilized in conjunction with a rotary knitting machine. Such rotary knitting machines, as is well known to those skilled in the art, customarily include a fixed bed and a rotatable bank of needles to which the yarn is fed from the appropriate bobbins or spindles. Alternatively, rotary knitting machines may incorporate a rotatable bed and a fixed bank of needles.

The pattern determining devices of the invention are applicable to either a fixed bed or rotatable bed machine, but will be described hereinbelow as applied to a fixed bed type of machine. The yarns are of different colors and are adapted, upon proper actuation of the needles, to create a chosen pattern in the fabric being knitted.

In conventional knitting machines of the character under discussion, the pattern of the fabric being knitted is established by a plurality of rotatable pattern wheels which are mounted upon the fixed bed of the machine in proximity to the rotating bank of needles and which are adapted to be rotated synchronously with said bank of needles by engagement with adjacent butt portions of said needles.

In conventional pattern wheels the jacks must be set manually in either extended or retracted position by a skilled mechanic in order to establish a predetermined needle-actuating pattern of said jacks. Consequently, each,

consequently, the patterns produced in knitted fabrics.

have been characterized by relatively limited variations in pattern.

In the device disclosed in my previously issued patent, there is included a plurality of jacks in a rotatable housing which are movable between extended or retracted positions. In the extended position, the jacks are adapted to engage the butts of the needles of the knitting machine in order to cause the needles to form predetermined patterns as determined by a pattern tape associated with the housing of the device.

The pattern tape incorporates a plurality of openings which permit portions of the jacks in the device of my. patent and to remain in projected positions beyond the perimeter of the housing and, thus, to permit the jacks to remain in the extended, needle-actuating position.

While the device of my previous patent has functioned satisfactorily, I have discovered that more effective and dependable pattern selection can be achieved by the pattern determining means of the present invention. Among the aspects of the present invention which cause it to function in an incomparably superior manner over my previous device is the fact that, while the selector pattern determines the selection of the jacks to be located in the extended positions, the jacks themselves, having once been selected, are maintained in the extended or retracted positions by cam means engageable with cam followers on the jacks. Consequently, the tension in the selector pattern which was necessary to maintain the jacks in retracted positions in my prior device is completely eliminated and, thus, more dependable and effective operation of the device of the present invention is achieved.

Another problem which has been successfully coped with in the device of the present invention is the return of the jacks to the extended positions in order that they may be effectively presented to the selector pattern for location in either the extended or retracted position. In other words, means is provided for insuring the location of all of the jacks in the extended positions before the selector means associated with the jacks are brought into contiguity with the selector pattern. Consequently, the possibility that a specific jack might be inadvertently located in the retracted position when it should be in the extended position is avoided.

An important aspect of the present invention is the provision of guide or fence means in contiguity to the perimeter of the jack housing immediately adjacent the point at which the pattern tape is engaged by the selector pins which constitute the selector means of the pattern wheel. In the absence of such guide or fence means, I have discovered that the inherent tension in the tape tends to prevent the proper impingement of the selector pins with the selector openings in the pattern tape. By providing guide or fence means in conjunction with the housing to guide the pattern tape into contiguity to the housing and engagement with the selector pins, I have eliminated the possibility of the tape not being properly registered with the associated selector pins. I

Another aspect of the pattern determining device of the present invention which is of considerable importance is the provision in the pattern tape magazine of stripping means on the spindle of the magazine which facilitates the stripping of the tape from the bank of tape and prevents the tape from tracking with the bank and inadvertently becoming jammed in the associated magazine.

In addition, I provide a mounting bracket for the device which can be adjusted into predetermined relationship with an associated mount on the associated knitting machine, and I thus establish a predetermined spatial relationship between the components of the pattern determining device and the associated knitting machine which permits one device to be removed and a previously adjusted device to be installed in operative relationship with the knitting machine without any necessity for tedious adjustment thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following specification and accompanying drawings, which are for the purpose of illustration only, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, side elevational view of a portion of a rotary knitting machine showing the relevant portion of the needle bank of the machine with a portion of the pattern determining device of the invention associated therewith;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the pattern determining device;

FIG. 3 is a side elevational view of the pattern determining device;

FIG. 4 is a transverse, sectional view taken on the broken line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, sectional view taken on the broken line S5 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a transverse, fragmentary, sectional view showing the manner in which a single selector pin or means engages with a corresponding opening in the associated selector pattern;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged, vertical, fragmentary, sectional view taken at a 30 angle to the vertical axis of the pattern wheel housing and showing the manner in which a jack incorporated in the pattern wheel housing engages the butt of an associated needle when the jack is located in its extended position;

FIG. 8 is a View similar to FIG. 7 showing another jack in the retracted position and illustrating the manner in which the needle butt of an associated needle engages the corresponding driving surface of the pattern wheel housing to cause the rotation thereof through the needleengagement area of the knitting machine; and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary, vertical, sectional view showing the manner in which cam means is provided adjacent the perimeter of the pattern housing to relocate the jacks in the extended positions after they have been carried through the needle engaging area by the rotation of said housing.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1-3, I show a pattern determining device 10 adapted to be utilized in conjunction with a circular knitting machine, a portion 12 of which is shown in FIG. 1 of the drawing, to determine the pattern of the knitted fabric being knitted on said knitting machine. The pattern determining device consists generally of a rotatable pattern wheel 14, a pattern magazine 16 juxtaposed to said pattern wheel and a bracket 18 upon which the pattern wheel 14 is adjustably mounted to facilitate the location of the perimeter of said pattern wheel in predetermined relationship to the perimeter of the needle bank 20 for purposes which will be described in greater detail below.

The knitting machine portion 12, FIG. 1, includes a bed 22 having the bracket 18 secured thereto, and the bank 20 of needles 24 is rotatable past the pattern wheel 14 to actuate selected needles 24 in order that a predetermined pattern may be created in the fabric being knitted by the. engagement of the needle with a selected length of yarn 26. p

In the use of the pattern determining device of the invention a plurality of pattern determining devices 10 is for the conventional pattern wheels customarily utilized or, on new machines, as original equipment.

Each of the pattern wheels 14 includes a substantially circular housing 30 which is angularly mounted on the bushing 82 which is concentric with bolt 32 which in turn is engaged by a nut 34 to maintain the pattern wheel in axially fixed, but radially adjustable, relationship with respect to and spaced above the bracket 18, as best shown in FIG. 3 of the drawings.

The angular orientation of the pattern wheel housing 30 with respect to the bank 20 and needles 24 is necessary in order that the pattern wheel 14 may raise selected needles 24 of the bank 20 from the lowermost position shown at the right hand extremity of FIG. 1 into the uppermost position in which the selected needles 24 project above the needle bank 2%) for engagement with the yarn 26.

The pattern wheel 14 includes a base 36 incorporating a plurality of perimetrical slots 38 therein. Lands 40 and 42 are provided in the base 36 of the housing 38, as best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, to define drive surfaces 46, FIGS. 7 and 8, for engagement by the butts 48 of the needles 24 when said needles are disposed in the lowermost position in relationship to needles 24 which have been vertically lifted by the operation of the pattern wheel and in a manner to be described in greater detail below.

Mounted upon the base 36 of the housing 30 of the pattern wheel 14 is a cylindrical wall 52, slotted at its lower end as at 53, which incorporates a plurality of pattern tape guide and drive pins 54 adjacent its upper and lower edges, for a purpose which will be described in greater detail below. The cylindrical wall 52 is shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings as arcuate in vertical cross section, and includes banks 58 and 62 of openings 64 and 66, respectively.

The apparent curvature of the wall 52 of the housing 30 is attributable to the fact that the sections of FIGS. 7 and 8 are taken at a 30 angle to the vertical axis of the wheel 14. The openings 64 of the upper bank 58 are staggered with respect to the openings 66 of the lower bank 62 to permit sufiicient edge distance between said openmgs.

Incorporated in the upper edge of the cylindrical wall 52 1s a contlnuous annular cavity 72 which opens inwardly toward the interior of the housing 30. Operatively associated with and supported upon the upper edge of the wall 52 is a top plate 74 which, as best shown in FIGS. 7 and of the drawings, incorporates in its underside adacent its point of impingment 0n the upper edge of the wall 52, arr annular concavity or groove 76 corresponding to the cavity 72 in the cylindrical wall 52 and mating therewith to define a retention chamber 78. Either or both of the cavities or grooves 72 and 76 are formed at least partially by generally radial slots, said slots being w thin the chamber 78 and being axially and angularly aligned with the slots 53 of wall 52 and slots 38 of base 36 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

As shown in FIGURE 3 the head of bushing 82 and head of bolt 32 clampingly engage bracket 18. The upper end of non rotating bushing 82 is engaged by a washer 35 which in turn engages the lower surface of plate 134. Thus as nut 34 is tightened the head of bolt 32 is drawn upwardly to engage bracket 18 and bushing 82, through plate 134 and the washer, is forced downwardly to engage the upper surface of bracket 18.

The top plate 74 is maintained in assembled relationship with the wall 52 and base 36 of the pattern wheel housing 30 through engagement of the upper surface of plate 74 by Washer 35 and engagement of the upper surface of a countersink in plate 36 by the head of bushing 82 mounted on the bed 12 of the knitting machine'about the v I circumference thereof in subStit ltiQ O 0 d achines,

in a non clamping manner.

The base 36 and top plate 74 encompass an annular resilient member or means 84, concentric with bushing 82, which, as best shown in FIGURES 7 and 8, incorporates a circumferential groove 86 defining an upper resilient flange 88 and a lower resilient flange 92. The base of the annular resilient member and the base of wall 52 are supported on the base 36 of the housing 30 and the upper surface of both the resilient member and wall 52 impinge upon the under surface of top plate 74. The spacing between the lower surface of washer 35 and the head of bushing 82 is such that resilient member 34 is compressed slightly to insure rotation with base 36, plate 74, and wall 52 around bushing 82.

There is defined between the perimeter of the resilient member 84 and the inner surface of the peripheral wall 52 of the housing 30 an annular jack chamber 96which, as best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings, receives a plurality of jacks 100 which, in the present embodiment of the invention, number 160. It will be obvious to those skilled in the art that, within recognized limits imposed by mechanical feasibility, the number of jacks incor orated in the housing 30 of the pattern wheel 14 can be adjusted to meet specific conditions encountered when the pattern wheel is utilized in conjunction with a specific knitting machine or is utilized to solve a specific knitting problem.

Each jack 100 includes a circular lobe 102 at its upper extremity which is received in the retention chamber 78 defined by the corresponding annular recesses 72 and 76 in the cylindrical wall 52 and the top plate 74, respectively. The jack circular lobes 102 are also received in the previously described radial slots of the retention chamber 78 with lower extremities of said jacks being received in the angularly aligned slots 38 of base 36. Consequently, each jack 100 is adapted to pivot within the jack chamber 96 held properly angularly aligned by the slot positioning.

Each jack 100 incorporates an intermediate actuating lobe 103 which is continuously engaged, as best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings, by the extremity of the upper flange 88 of the resilient member 84. Below the lobe 103, the rear edge of each jack 100 is engaged by the extrerne edge of the lower flange 92. Therefore, the flanges 88 and 92 of the resilient member 84 normally serve to project and maintain the jacks 100 in the extended positions shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings, wherein the jacks are adapted to move the needles 24 into knitting positions, in a manner to be described in greater detail below.

It shoud be noted in this connection that the upper and lower flanges 88 and 92, respectively, of the resilient member 84 do not exert substantial pressure upon the jacks 100 when the jacks 100 are located in the first, extended position of FIG. 7 but merely serve to maintain the jacks in the extended position.

Each jack has an arcuate front edge 104 confronting the inner surface of the cylindrical wall 52 and the lower extremity of each jack extends into a corresponding slot 38 and incorporates cam follower means generally indicated at 106 in FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings, said cam follower means including a vertically oriented slot 108 and an upwardly directed cam follower prong 110 whose upper extremity 112 is inwardly inclined to facilitate the outward camming of the jacks 100 into the first extended position, as best shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings.

Each of the jacks includes a substantially horizontal selector surface 114 which, as best shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings, is adapted to engage the underside of a needle butt 48 to cause the upward movement of the needle 24 as the jack 100 is rotated upwardly in the angular path established by the angular orientation of the pattern wheel housing 30.

Mounted in the upper bank 58 of openings 64 is a plurality of selector means 116 which, in the present embodiment of the invention, are constituted by selector pins 118, said selector pins having heads 120 which are engaged by the inner arcuate front edge 104 of the associated jack 100. Normally, the outer extremities of the selector pins 118 are projected through the associated openings 64 beyond the adjacent outer surface of the cylindrical wall 52, and said extremities are maintained in the projected positions by the engagement of the upper and lower flanges 88 and 92 of the resilient member 84 upon the intermediate lobe 102 and inner edge of the associated jacks 100.

A plurality of selector means 124 is mounted in the openings 66 of the lower bank 62, and said selector means are constituted by selector pins 126 having heads 128 engaging the front edge 104 of the jacks 100. As in the case of the selector pins 118, the selector pins 126 are normally maintained with their extremities projected beyond the corresponding exterior surface of the cylindrical wall 52.

The longitudinal axes of the selector pins 118 and 126 are, as best shown in FIG. 6 of the drawings, angularly oriented with respect to the conjectural radial lines drawn from the center of the housing 30 and extending through the cylindrical wall 52. Consequently, the projecting extremities thereof trail the heads and 128 thereof as the housing is rotated in a counterclockwise direction, as indicated by the arrow 132. The angular divergence of the shanks of the pins 118 and 126 from the association conjectural radial is approximately 2, but it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that such angular divergence may be either increased or decreased as the need arises. The angular orientation of the selector pins 118 and 126 in the above described manner facilitates the coaction of the pins with other components of the pattern determining device 10, in a manner to be described in greater detail below.

To facilitate the further disclosure of the invention, the general area in which the selector surfaces 114 of the jacks 100 engage the needle butts 48 of the needles 24 will be referred to as the needle-engaging area. Disposed in proximity to the needle-engaging area and supported upon an upper support plate 134, as best shown in FIGS. 1-4 and 7-8 of the drawings, is means 136 for maintaining the jacks 100 in either the first extended or the second retracted positions as the jacks enter the needle-engaging area which is designated generally at 138 in FIG. 2 of the drawings.

The means 136 for maintaining the jacks 100 in either the selected extended or retracted positions is constituted by an arcuate cam 140, said cam including an arcuate, fiat portion 142 overlying the upper support plate 134 and the contiguous area of the pattern wheel 14, and an arcuate skirt 144 which depends into contiguity with the pattern wheel housing 30 in advance of and subsequently to the needle-engaging area.

The cam 140, as best shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings, includes an arcuate cam flange 146 which is located at the lower extremity of said cam and which, at its leading edge, is relatively thin in cross section to facilitate its engagement with either the cam follower slot 108 or the cam follower prong 110, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings, to maintain a specific jack in either the first, extended, needle-engaging position, or in the second, retracted needle-bypassing position.

The cam is mounted for vertical movement on the upper mounting plate 134 by screws 148 whose upper extremities are engaged by nuts 152 and whose extremities extend through corresponding openings in the arcuate plate portion of said cam and are fastened in the upper surface of the upper support plate 134. Compression springs 154 are interposed between the undersurfaces of the nuts 152 and the upper surface of the arcuate plate portion 142 of the cam 140 to bias the arcuate cam flange 146 downwardly toward the upper surface of the upper land 42 on the base 36 into proximity to the slots 38 and the cam follower means 106 of the jacks 100.

The cam 140 is spring-biased so it may be automatically raised upwardly if the cam flange 146 engages upon a jack or jacks 100 in such a manner that there is a tendency for the jack or jacks 100 to bind upon the cam flange 146 resulting in the possible destruction of the pattern wheel 14. However, when the misplaced jack or jacks 100 has traversed the area in which the cam 140 is located, the cam will automatically return to its normal lowermost position in which the cam flange 146 will once again cooperate with the cam follower means 106 of the jacks to facilitate the naintenance of said jacks in either the selected extended )1 retracted position.

Supported upon the rear extremity of the mounting bracket 18 is means 156 for locating the jacks 100 in the first, extended position after they have traversed the needle-engaging area, said means including a flat mounting plate 158, as best shown in FIGS. 1-2 and 9 of the drawings, which is secured by screws 162 to a spacer block 164, FIG. 9, which is secured by said screws to the bracket 18.

Three bolts 166 depend from the mounting plate 158 and have their shanks inserted through corresponding openings in a vertically movable cam 178 which overlies the heads 172 of said bolts. Compression springs 174 encompass the shanks of the bolts 166 and are located in the space between the undersurface of the fiat mounting plate 158 and the upper surface of the cam 170 to bias the cam 170 downwardly toward the base 36 of the pattern wheel housing 38.

The earn 170 is provided with an arcuate cam flange 178, FIG. 9, which is designed to seat in the cam follower slots 188 of the cam follower means 186 of the jacks 100 to urge the jacks 100 into the first, extended position after they have passed the needle-engaging area 138. The leading edge 182 of the cam flange 178 is knifesharp, as best shown in FIG. 2. of the drawings, to facilitate its engagement with the outer wall of the cam follower slots 108. Also serving to facilitate the proper location of the cam flange 178 in operative relationship with the cam follower slots 188 is the angularly oriented upper extremity 112 provided on the cam prong 116 of each of the jacks because, if the jacks 108 are mislocated with respect to the cam flange 178, the inclined upper extremities 112 of the cam prong 110 will engage the cam flange 178, and the lower extremities of the jacks will be urged outwardly until the cam flange 178 is properly seated in the cam follower slot 108 of each of the jacks.

However, if the jacks 100 should become mislocated with respect to the cam flange 178 of the movable cam 170, impingement of said flange upon a mislocated portion of said jack or jacks will cause the cam 170' to ride upwardly against the bias of the springs 174, permitting the mislocated jacks to be by-passed by the cam flange 178 and, when so by-passed, permitting the cam flange to return to its normal position.

Secured to the upper surface of the bracket 18 is a pattern fence or guide 186, said pattern fence or guide including a mounting portion 188 which is fastened to the bracket 18 by means of bolts 192, as best shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 of the drawings. Formed in the mounting portion of the pattern guide is a relatively straight pattern passage or track 184, best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, and terminating immediately adjacent the perimeter of the wall 52 of the pattern whel 38.

Also provided on the pattern guide is a guide portion 196 having an inner arcuate guide face 198, which incorporates uppermost and lowermost grooves 202 and 204 for permitting the passage of the guide pins 54 past the face 198 and which incorporates intermediate slots 286 and 208 for permitting the passage of, respectively, the selector pins 118 and 126. The function of the pattern fence or guide 186 will be described in greater detail hereinbelow.

Mounted upon the spacer block 164 by means of bolts 208 as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, is a pattern stripper 210, said pattern stripper having a knife-edge forward extremity 212 located in immediate proximity to the perimeter of the wall 52 of the housing to facilitate the stripping of a pattern from operative relationship with the guide pins 54 and the selector pins 118 and 126. It will be noted that as best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, the outer surface of the forward extremity of the pattern stripper is arcuately formed and the extremity forward 8 edge 212 is inwardly inclined to facilitate the stripping of the pattern in the manner described hereinabove.

The pattern magazine 16 is mounted by a bolt 214 upon a rearward extension 217 of the mounting bracket 18. The lower extremity of the bolt engages an angularlyoriented socket 216 to angularly orient the magazine 16 with respect to the pattern wheel 14.

The magazine includes, as best shown in FIG. 4-, a bottom plate 218 which is mounted on the shank of the bolt 214 and which is encompassed by an enclosure 222. The enclosure is secured in spaced relationship with the upper surface of the bottom plate by being supported on a pay-off reel 224, said reel incorporating a perimetrical concavity 226 for a purpose which will be described in greater detail below.

The reel is mounted for location about the shank of the bolt 214 on a bearing 228 and is encompassed by a pattern 230 in the form of an elongated tape 232. The tape may be fabricated from any suitable type of flexible plastic or other flexible material but, in the present embodiment of the invention, is fabricated from Mylar.

The enclosure incorporates an elongated chordal exit slit 225 which, as best shown in FIG. 2 of the drawings, has a concave side wall 227 to facilitate the issuance of the outlet run of the tape 232 from the magazine 16. An inlet, return opening 240 is provided in the wall of the enclosure 222, and permits the return run of the tape 232 to be returned to the perimeter of the tape roll within the enclosure 222.

The tape 232, as best shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 of the drawings, includes upper and lower guide openings 242 which are engaged upon the guide pins 54 mounted in the cylindrical wall 52 and pattern selecting openings 244 which are adapted to permit the passage therethrough of a juxtaposed extremity of a selected pin, as best shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings.

As previously indicated, the entire pattern determining device is mounted upon a bracket 18 which in turn is mounted upon a generally rectangular bar 248, FIG. 3, one of which is provided at each pattern wheel station on the associated knitting machine. The bar 248 is received in a cavity 252 of a pattern wheel support 254 which is secured in operative relationship with the supporting plate 248 by means of bolts 256. An elongated adjustment slot 258 is provided in the pattern wheel support for reception of the head of the pattern wheel mounting bolt 32.

Consequently, when the bracket 18 is initially mounted upon the bar 248 attached to the bed of the knitting machine with which it is associated, the pattern wheel 14 may be adjusted into optimum contiguity with the needle bank 20. Therefore, when a pattern wheel 14 is removed from operative relationship for any reason, such as re pair or resetting, a substitute pattern wheel adjusted in the same manner can be instantly installed in operative relationship with the knitting machine.

When the circular knitting machine with which the pattern determining device 10 is associated is in operation, the pattern wheels 14 of the pattern devices 10 are continuously rotated with respect to the bed 22 of the machine. Such rotation occurs concomitantly with rotation of the needle bank 20 because the butts 48 of the needles 44 which are not raised into the yarn engaging position are engaged upon the drive surfaces 46 to cause the rotation of the individual pattern wheels 14.

As the pattern wheel 14 rotates, the magazine 16 associated therewith permits the pattern tape 232 to issue through the exit slot 225 because of the rotation of the reel 224. The function of the per'irnetrical concavity 226 and the reel 224 is demonstrated in FIG. 4 of the drawings as permitting the angular orientation or cocking of the outlet run of the tape 232 with respect to said reel, thus releasing the outlet run of the tape 232 from operative engagement with the reel and preventing the tape 9 from tracking around the reel and jamming in the magazine 16.

Of course, the pins 54 engage in the corresponding openings 242 in the tape and as the pattern wheel is rotated, cause the tape 232 to be withdrawn into operative engagement with the perimeter of the cylindrical wall 52 and to locate the pattern selecting openings 244 adjacent the extremities of the selector pins 118 and 126 to permit the passage of the extremities of said pins through said openings, and to permit the location of the jacks 100 associated with said pins in the extended, needle-operating position shown in FIG. 7 of the drawings.

However, it should be pointed out, that prior to the engagement of the outlet run of the pattern tape 232 with the perimeter of the cylindrical wall 52, it is oriented in the passage 194 of the pattern guide 186 and is urged into engagement with the perimeter of the cylindrical wall 52 by the action of the ar-cuate guide surface 198 of the pattern guide 186.

As the pattern tape 232 is guided into engagement with both the guide pins 54 and the pattern selector pins 118 and 126, the angular orientation of the selector pins 118 and 126 prevents the extremities thereof from catching upon the forward portions of the edges of the pattern selecting openings 244, as illustrated in FIG. 6 of the drawings. Therefore, the possibility that the tape might hang up on the extremities of the pattern selector pins 118 and 126 is eliminated.

It will be noted that, as the tape passes from the end of the guide 186, therespective cam follower surfaces of the extended and retracted jacks are engaged by the cam flange 146 on the lower edge of the cam 140, as best illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings.

When a specific jack 100 is permitted to remain in the extended position of FIG. 7 by the location of the outer extremity of its associated selector pin 118 in a pattern selecting opening 244, the cam flange 146 engages the cam follower slot 108 and serves to maintain the associated jack 100 in the extended position during the traverse of said jack through the needle-engaging area.

Consequently, the resilient means 84 is not required to maintain the respective jack 100 in the extended needle-actuating position and to resist the load imposed upon the selector surface 114 of said jack, since the jack is locked and maintained in the extended position by the action of the cam 240.

Conversely, when a selector pin 126, FIG. 8 is engaged by an imperforate portion of the pattern tape 232 the affected pin 126 is urged inwardly against the arcuate front edge 104 of the respective jack 100 to force the jack 100 inwardly against the bias of the upper and lower flanges 88 and 92, respectively, of the resilient member 84, thus locating the jack in the second retracted position in which it will not engage the needle butt 48 of a needle 24.

When located in this position, the cam flange 146 of the cam 140 will engage the outer surface of the cam prong 110 to maintain the respective jack 100 in the retracted position.

As a result of the action of the cam 140 in retaining the respective jack 100 in the retracted position, no load is imposed upon the tape during the passage of the jack through the needle-engaging area and, therefore, there is no tendency for the tape to be stripped from the cylindrical wall 52 nor is the question of tension in the tape as critical as it was in the pattern control means of my previous invention.

Because all of the load on the jack is maintained by the cam 140, the tape is relatively free-running, and serves merely to select the respective jack during the passage of the tape through the pattern guide 186. When the tape 232 issues from the pattern guide 186, the cam follower means 106 of the jacks 100 are immediately engaged by the cam flange 146 of the cam 140 and the function of 10 the tape 232 in maintaining the retracted position of the jacks is eliminated.

After the jacks have passed from the end of the cam 14%, the tape 232 is stripped by the action of the leading edge 212 of the pattern stripper 210 from the pins and from the perimeter of the cylindrical wall 52 of the pattern wheel 14. The pattern tape 232 then enters the inlet slot 240 and is received upon the perimeter of the roll of tape within the magazine 16.

As the jacks are rotated, they encounter the leading edge 182 of the cam flange 178 of the movable cam and are returned to the extended positions in complete uniformity by the location of the leading edge in the cam follower groove 108 of'the successive jacks 190.

Obviously, any desired pattern may be achieved by the formation of pattern selecting openings 244 in the pattern tape 232 to establish a pattern which will be created in the fabric being knitted through the actuation or inactivation of the needles 24.

Obviously, an extremely long length of pattern tape 232 can be supplied from the magazine 16, and a variety of patterns can be achieved which is characteristic of that normally obtainable only by the utilization of relatively complex and expensive Jacquard knitting machines.

By providing a pattern determining device of the character described hereinabove, I have eliminated the use of the tape as a means for maintaining the selector jacks in the retracted position during their passage through the needle-engaging area. In addition, I have achieved more effective registration of the pattern selecting openings in the pattern tape with the selector pins, and have also insured that the jacks will be maintained in the selected positions by the action of the selector cam associated with the pattern wheel.

Moreover, the pattern determining device of the invention achieves the effective stripping of the pattern tape from the pattern wheel after it has served its function, and the associated magazine insures that the tape will be adequately and accurately fed to the guide means which establishes the tape in proper registry with the perimeter of the pattern wheel housing.

In addition, the return of the jacks to their normal extended position after passage through the needle-engaging area is achieved by the action of the cam which locates them in the extended position prior to the entry of the pattern wheel perimeter into the position in which it is engaged by the pattern tape.

I claim:

1. In a pattern controlling device for utilization in conjunction with a circular knitting machine, the combination of: a rotatable housing having a plurality of needleactuating jacks mounted therein for movement between retracted and extended positions; means in said housing for urging said jacks toward said extended positions; jack selector pins mounted in said housing and projected therefrom by said jacks; a pattern tape engageable with the perimeter of said housing and incorporating a plurality of openings permitting the selective movement of said pins therethrough to accomplish the movement of said jacks into extended positions; and cam means engageable with said jacks to maintain said jacks in either said extended or retracted position as said jacks are rotated in said housing into contiguity with said needles of said knitting machine.

2. In a pattern controlling device for utilization in conjunction with a circular knitting machine, the combination of: a rotatable housing having a plurality of needleactuating jacks mounted therein for movement between retracted and extended positions; means in said housing for urging said jacks toward said extended positions; jack selector pins mounted in said housing and projected therefrom by said jacks; a pattern tape engageable with the perimeter of said housing and incorporating a plurality of openings permitting the selective movement of said pins therethrough to accomplish the movement of said jacks into extended positions; and cam means engageable with said jacks to maintain said jacks in either said extended or retracted position as said jacks are rotated in said housing into contiguity with said needles of said knitting machine, said cam means being spring-biased to permit said cam means to be urged upwardly by the impingement thereupon of a mislocated jack.

3. In a pattern wheel for a circular knitting machine, the combination of: a rotatable housing incorporating a plurality of drive slots engageable with the butts of the needles of said knitting machine to rotate said housing relative to said knitting machine; a plurality of needleactuating jacks mounted in said housing for movement between retracted and extended positions, said jacks being adapted to engage said needle butts in said extended positions to cause said needles to be vertically moved by said jacks; means in said housing for urging said jacks into said extended positions; selector pins mounted in said housing and engageable with said jacks for determining the location of said jacks in either the extended or retracted position; a selector tape having a plurality of openings therein adapted to permit the outward movement therethrough of specific selector pins to permit specific jacks to be moved into the extended positions; and cam means mounted adjacent said housing for fixedly locating said jacks in either the retracted or extended position as determined by said selector tape.

4. In a pattern wheel for a circular knitting machine, the combination of: a rotatable housing incorporating a plurality of drive slots engageable with the butts of the needles of said knitting machine to rotate said housing relative to said knitting machine; a plurality of needleactuating jacks mounted in said housing for movement between retracted and extended positions, said jacks being adapted to engage said needle butts in said extended positions to cause said needles to be vertically moved by said jacks; means in said housing for urging said jacks into said extended positions; selector pins mounted in said housing and engageable with said jacks for determining the location of said jacks in either the extended or retracted position; a selector tape having a plurality of openings therein adapted to permit the outward movement therethrough of specific selector pins to permit specific jacks to be moved into the extended positions; and cam means mounted adjacent said housing for fixedly locating said jacks in either the retracted or extended position as determined by said selector tape, said cam means being spring-biased to permit it to be displaced by one or more improperly located jacks.

5. In a pattern wheel for actuating the needles of a circular knitting machine, the combination of: a rotatable housing having a plurality of drive slots in the perimeter thereof engageable with said needles whereby said housing may be rotated by impingement upon the butts of said needles; a plurality of needle-actuating jacks mounted in said housing for movement between retracted and extended positions so that said jacks in retracted positions will not engage an associated needle but in extended positions will engage an associated needle to cause the vertical knitting movement thereof; means in said housing for urging said jacks toward said extended positions; a plurality of selector pins mounted in said housing and projected therefrom by associated jacks; a selector tape impinging on the perimeter of said housing and incorporating a plurality of openings adapted to permit an associated selector pin to project therethrough to locate an associated jack in the extended position; first cam means mounted adjacent said housing for maintaining said jacks in either the extended or retracted position; and second cam means adjacent said housing for disposing said jacks in the extended positions.

6. In a device adapted to be mounted in contiguity to a knitting machine having a plurality of needles for determining the pattern of a knitted fabric, the combination of: a rotatable housing having a plurality of drive slots in its perimeter engageable with said needles to rotate said housing; a plurality of jacks mounted in said housing for movement between retracted or extended positions, said jacks incorporating needle actuating and cam follower means; resilient means in said housing for biasing said jacks toward said extended positions; selector pins mounted in said housing and engageable by said jacks for determining the location of said jacks in said extended or retracted positions; selector tape means having a plurality of openings therein for permitting the movement of said selector pins therethrough and the consequent movement of the associated jack into the extended position; and cam means engageable with said cam follower means for maintaining said jacks in either the extended or retracted position.

7. In a device adapted to be mounted in contiguity to a knitting machine having a plurality of needles for determining the pattern of a knitted fabric, the combination of: a rotatable housing having a plurality of drive slots in its perimeter engageable with said needles to rotate said housing; a plurality of jacks mounted in said housing for movement between retracted or extended positions, said jacks incorporating needle actuating and cam follower means; resilient means in said housing for biasing said jacks toward said extended position; selector pins mounted in said housing and engageable by said jacks for determining the location of said jacks in said extended or retracted positions; selector tape means having a plurality of openings therein for permitting the movement of said selector pins therethrough and the consequent movement of the associated jack into the extended position; first cam means engageable with said cam follower means for maintaining said jacks in either the extended or retracted position; and second cam means for maintaining said jacks in the extended position.

8. In a device for locating the needles of a knitting machine, the combination of: a mounting bracket securable to said knitting machine; a rotatable housing on said mounting bracket; a plurality of drive surfaces on said housing engageable with said needles to cause the rotation of said housing; a plurality of jacks in said housing movable between retracted or extended positions; an elongated pattern engageable with the perimeter of said housing and having a plurality of selector openings therein; selector pins means movable in said housing and engageable at one extremity with said jacks and at the other extremity with said pattern; first cam means engageable with said jacks to maintain said jacks in either the extended or retracted position; and second cam means for maintaining said jacks in the extended position.

9. In a device for locating the needles of a knitting machine, the combination of: a mounting bracket securable to said knitting machine; a rotatable housing on said mounting bracket; a plurality of drive surfaces on said housing engageable with said needles to cause the rotation of said housing; a plurality of jacks in said housing movable between retracted or extended positions; an elongated pattern engageable with the perimeter of said housing and having a plurality of selector openings there.- in; selector pins means movable in said housing and engageable at one extremity with said jacks and at the other extremity with said pattern; first cam means engageable with said jacks to maintain said jacks in either the extended or retracted position; second cam means for maintaining said jacks in the extended position; and spring means engageable with said first cam means for permitting relative movement between said first cam means and said housing.

10. In a device for locating the needles of a circular knitting machine, the combination of: a mounting bracket securable to said knitting machine; a rotatable housing on said mounting bracket; a plurality of drive surfaces on said housing engageable with said needles to cause the rotation of said housing; a plurality of jacks in said housing movable between retracted or extended positions;

an elongated pattern engageable with the perimeter of said housing and having a plurality of selector openings therein; selector pins means movable in said housing and engageable at one extremity with said jacks and at the other extremity with said pattern; first cam means engageable with said jacks to maintain said jacks in either the extended or retracted position; second cam means for maintaining said jacks in the extended positions; and spring means interposed between said second cam means and said housing for permitting relative movement between said second cam means and said housing.

11. In a device for locating the needles of a circular knitting machine, the combination of: a mounting bracket securable to said knitting machine; a rotatable housing on said mounting bracket; a plurality of drive surfaces on said housing engageable with said needles to cause the rotation of said housing; a plurality of jacks in said housing movable between retracted or extended positions; an elongated pattern engageable with the perimeter of said housing and having a plurality of selector openings therein; selector pins means movable in said housing and engageable at one extremity with said jacks and at the other extremity with said pattern; first cam means engageable with said jacks to maintain said jacks in either the extended or retracted position; second cam means for maintaining said jacks in the extended positions; and spring means interposed between said first and second cam means to permit relative movement between said first and second cam means and said housing.

12. In a device for determining the position of the needles in a knitting machine, the combination of: a mounting bracket for securing said device in operative relationship with said knitting machine; a rotatable housing mounted on said mounting bracket and incorporating a plurality of drive slots engageable with said needles of said knitting machine to cause the rotation of said housing; a plurality of jacks mounted in said housing and movable between retracted or extended positions; resilient means in said housing for urging said jacks toward said extended positions; selector means mounted in said housing and engageable by said jacks; a selector pattern engageable with the perimeter of said housing and incorporating a plurality of openings adapted to permit specific selector means to be projected therethrough by said resilient means; and means on said housing for maintaining said jacks in either the retracted or extended position after such positions have been determined by the co-action between said selector means and said selector pattern.

13. In a device for determining the position of the needles in a knitting machine, the combination of: a rotatable housing; a plurality of needle-actuating jacks mounted in said housing and movable between retracted or extended positions; resilient means in said housing for urging said jacks toward said extended positions; selector means mounted in said housing and engageable by said jacks; a selector pattern incorporating selector openings therein adapted to permit the passage of said selector means therethrough to locate said jacks in extended positions; means for maintaining said jacks in either extended or retracted positions as determined by the coaction between said selector means and said selector pattern; and means engageable with said jacks for locating them in the extended positions after said jacks have passed the needle actuating area.

14. In a device for determining the position of the needles in a knitting machine, the combination of: a rotatable housing; a plurality of needle-actuating jacks mounted in said housing and movable between retracted or extended positions; resilient means in said housing for urging said jacks toward said extended positions; selector means mounted in said housing and engageable by said jacks; a selector pattern incorporating selector openings therein adapted to permit the passage of said selector means therethrough to locate said jacks in extended positions; means for maintaining said jacks in either extended or retracted positions as determined by the coaction between said selector means and said selector pattern; means engageable with said jacks for locating them in the extended positions after said jacks have passed the needle actuating area; and a guide fence mounted adjacent said housing for introducing said selector pattern into proximity to the perimeter of said housing.

15. In a device for determining the position of the needles in a knitting machine, the combination of a rotatable housing; a plurality of needle-actuating jacks mounted in said housing and movable between retracted or extended positions; resilient means in said housing for surging said jacks toward said extended positions; selector means mounted in said housing and engageable by said jacks; a selector pattern incorporating selector openings therein adapted to permit the passage of said selector means therethrough to locate said jacks in extended positions; means for maintaining said jacks in either extended or retracted positions as determined by the co-action between said selector means and said selector pattern; means engageable with said jacks for locating them in the extended positions after said jacks have passed the needle actuating area; and a pattern magazine mounted in proximity to said housing and including an elongated outlet opening and a perimetrical inlet opening.

16. In a device for determining the position of the needles in a knitting machine, the combination of: a mounting bracket for securing said device in operative relationship with said knitting machine; a rotatable housing mounted on said mounting bracket and incorporating a plurality of drive surfaces engageable with said needles of said knitting machine to cause the rotation of said housing through a needle-engaging area; a plurality of jacks mounted in said housing and movable between retracted or extended positions; resilient means in said housing for urging said jacks toward said extended positions; selector pins mounted in said housing and engageable by said jacks, said selector pins being angularly oriented from the corresponding radius of said housing; and a selector pattern engageable with said selector pins to determine the location of said jacks in either the extended or retracted position.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,765,286 6/1930 Sander 665O 3,079,775 3/1963 Schaeder et al. 66-50 3,167,937 2/1965 Carroll 6650 3,170,312 2/1965 Stock 66-50 3,225,567 12/1965 Seiler 6650 FOREIGN PATENTS 639,452 3/1928 France.

712,621 6/1931 France.

244,887 l2/ 1925 Great Britain.

MERVIN STEIN, Primary Examiner. 

16. IN A DEVICE FOR DETERMINING THE POSITION OF THE NEEDLES IN A KNITTING MACHINE, THE COMBINATION OF: A MOUNTING BRACKET FOR SECURING SAID DEVICE IN OPERATIVE RELATIONSHIP WITH SAID KNITTING MACHINE; A ROTATABLE HOUSING MOUNTED ON SAID MOUNTING BRACKET AND INCORPORATING A PLURALITY OF DRIVE SURFACES ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID NEEDLES OF SAID KNITTING MACHINE TO CAUSE THE ROTATION OF SAID HOUSING THROUGH A NEEDLE-ENGAGING AREA; A PLURALITY OF JACKS MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING AND MOVABLE BETWEEN RETRACTED OR EXTENDED POSITIONS; RESILIENT MEANS IN SAID HOUSING FOR URGING SAID JACKS TOWARD SAID EXTENDED POSITIONS; SELECTOR PINS MOUNTED IN SAID HOUSING AND ENGAGEABLE BY SAID JACKS, SAID SELECTOR PINS BEING ANGULARLY ORIENTED FROM THE CORRESPONDING RADIUS OF SAID HOUSING; AND A SELECTOR PATTERN ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID SELECTOR PINS TO DETERMINE THE LOCATION OF SAID JACKS IN EITHER THE EXTENDED OR RETRACTED POSITION. 